Save the Date!

Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association Meeting

The Church at Decatur Heights, Community room located at 735 Sycamore Drive

Plan to attend for the latest neighborhood related news and to hear from invited guests! Detailed meeting agenda will be sent out soon.

Want to become more involved? Then why not run to be an officer on the DHNA Board? If you’re up for serving, please submit a statement of interest before the start of the meeting. DHNA elections will be held at the November 2016 DHNA Meeting. To be eligible to vote, you must be an enrolled DHNA member by the October 25th meeting.

Annual dues are $10 per member and are used for hosting events and DHNA related expenses. Cash or check made payable to Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association.

The owners of Comet Pub & Lanes at Suburban Plaza have filed an application for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow extended hours past their current 12:30 AM closing time. The new closing times would be 1 AMSunday-Thursday and 2 AMon Friday and Saturday. If approved, Comet Pub & Lanes would then be designated as a Late-Night Establishment. (Neighbors were previously notified about their pre-submittal meeting held on August 17th.)

The first of three hearings, Community Council, will be held on Thursday (October 13th) at 6:30 PM in the Clark Harrison building at 330 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue. If the owners wish to move forward from there, Planning Commission will be Tuesday, November 1st and BOC Hearing will be Tuesday, November 15th.

The Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association Board (DHNA) is pleased to share that the applications filed by S.J. Collins Enterprises for North Decatur Square, the multi-use development to be anchored by 365 by Whole Foods Market, were unanimously approved by the DeKalb Board of Commissioners at the September 27, 2016 Zoning Hearing.

The DHNA’s key focuses when approaching a development project are: How does it fit with the Medline LCI objectives of connectivity, walkability, wellness, and aging in place? Will it bring beneficial amenities for local residents? Our goal from the onset was to obtain needed offsite pedestrian and traffic-related improvements which we are proud to have achieved for the community.

Negotiated Improvements:

Installation of thermoplastic pedestrian crosswalks at the intersection of Church Street and North Decatur Road, the intersection of Church Street and Sycamore Drive, and on Sycamore Drive near Rufus Evans Drive;

Installation of signage warning drivers not to block the Church Street and Sycamore Drive intersection;

Installation of either a traffic signal or a pedestrian crossing beacon on Church Street near Milscott Drive

Upgraded coordinated signal system timing for the Church Street signal system; and

To explore with MARTA the potential for a sheltered bus stop located at the development.

Our congratulations go out to the S.J. Collins team. The final design reflects their extensive community engagement with its tree-lined multi-use paths, inviting public spaces, and improved pedestrian connectivity throughout the site. The 300 apartments will include a minimum of 30 units of Workforce Housing so as to accommodate hospital workers and others earning up to approximately $44,000 annually. The 365 by Whole Foods Market and similar caliber commercial businesses will be welcome additions to the area.

The DHNA Board also appreciates the many other good things that have resulted from this endeavor. We’ve established ties with Church Street area neighborhoods, joined with board members of the Sycamore Station and Sycamore Ridge HOAs, strengthened our relationship with DeKalb Medical, and gained a new community partner in S.J. Collins. DeKalb’s Davis Fox (Policy Advisor for District 6) and Patrece Keeter (DOT) continue to provide invaluable support for the DHNA’s pedestrian and traffic-related efforts.

Praise and encouragement go to our city and county commissioners as they begin reviewing together the existing plans for the area now that the developments are springing to life. Our sincere thanks to Mayor Patti Garrett and Commissioner Tony Powers for stepping forward on the Church Street area neighborhoods’ behalf.

North Decatur Square will now enter into the construction phase with a slated opening between June and September 2018. We look forward to encountering old friends and new as we walk over to shop, dine and play.

The past month has been an exciting time for the Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association. The DHNA has been in support of the SJ Collins’ Whole Foods mixed-use development known as North Decatur Square. Here are a few articles written about the project and its local support.